What Not to Do (Kallisti)

[Visha]

He was talking about champagne. Visha barely felt the effects; she never did, but she accepted the escape of an explanation wordlessly as he joined her at the next sink. She watched his reflection in turn, and her stomach fluttered for how flawless they looked side by side. Like something out of a fashion zine. It gave her some small delight even as she felt the hooks of reality begin to tighten their hold.

She took the towel offered and dabbed her mouth. But she really felt like squishing it into her face and screaming in frustration. She was overwhelmed with the unfairness. Because he was perfect, and beautiful, and he’d followed her like an actual prince in an actual fairytale. Weren’t such stories supposed to have a HAPPY ending? Though she supposed that in such a story, she would not be the princess at all, but the monster heroes like Seven were sent to kill.

Visha offered her inner wrist with the hint of a smile. Her gaze was intense on the moment, on his fingers, on his expression; memorising it all, though she was mindful he did not attempt to peel the glove from her arm first.

"Does it have a story?" she wanted to know, speaking of the owl bracelet. Though however he answered did not matter so much as the gift itself, and she was only trying to prolong the moment.

"I would love to. With you, in case it's not obvious. But I can't."